Rotary drilling-machine



L. 1. BLACK. ROTARY DRILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1920.

Patented June 1, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I IN VENTOR. ZeeJfi/aelr BY wqwm A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES I LEE J. BLACK, 01 BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

, ROTARY DRILLING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be-it known that I, LEE J. BLACK, a citizen qf the United States, residing at Beaumont, in the I of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Drilling- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well drilling rigs commonly known as rotaries, in whic a turntable is used for rotating the drill stem or pipe.

The invention has special reference to the gripping member v and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved mechanical means whereby the operation of elevating and lowering the drill stem or pipe is greatly facilitated, andall danger of personal injury to the workmen is eliminated. I

With the object stated in view,

tion consists in a combination and arrange-.

mentof partsto be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing specification.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, but it will be be understood that various changes and modifications may be made withouta departure from the spirit and scope thereof as claimed" the outside of the former.

" is therefore rigidly mounted inthe opening hereinafter.

In the 'drawings 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section; Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, but showing certain parts in a different position, and Fig.4 is a detail in perspective.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 5

- denotes the turntable or rotating drive memtional mechani'sm ber of a rotary well drilling machine said member having a downwardly .taperedcentral opening 6 to seat, certain elements to be presently. described. Themember 5 is supported on a base 7, with anti-friction rollers 8 interposed therebetween, and said base seats on sills 9.

On theturntable 5 is an annular rack 10 withwhich meshes a drive pinion 11,..0n a shaft 12 sup rted in bearings 13 on an extension 14o the base 7. The convenfor transmitting motion Specification of Letters Patent.

county of Jefierson "and State I a bushmg 15 containing vertically movable or slips carried by the turntable and operating to hold the drill stem or pipe,

forcontrolling the slips, "ing from the invenv forming a part of this Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed February 19, 1920.- Serial No. 359,969.

' to the shaft 12 from'a power source is provlded, and as this is immaterial to the pres ent invention it need not be described.

In the opening 6 of the turntable 5 seats gripping blocks-16 or slips as they are commonly termed in the ever, that-any other number of slips may be employed. The bushing has a downward taper on the inside, has an lnternal diameter whichis less than its upper half, sothat an internal annular shoulder 17 is produced at the junction of said upper-and lower portions of different diameters. Thebushing also has two diametrically sideof the lower half of the bushing are annular outstanding flanges 19 fitting the wallof the opening 6, and as said opening is tapered. the bushing is prevented from slipping down therein, theperiphery of the flanges being beveled taper of the wall of the opening 6. In line with the slots 18, the flanges 19 are discontinued to provide recesses 20 to accommodate certain parts to be presently de-' scribed. In order to prevent rotation of the bushing 15 in the opening 6, the wall of the latter has diametrically opposite slots 21 in which seat vertical ribs 22 on The bushing 15 6- and securel held against displacement therein, and at spaced from the wall of the opening by the flanges 19.

Beneath the turntable 5, concentric there- 26 to' the extremities of which latter the slips are pivotally connected by means of ears 27on'the tops of the latter. The slip supporting stems enter-the opening 6 from below and the bends 26 are in line with the slots 18 so that they may enter the latter when-the stems24 descend. The stems'24 pass-through the recesses 20.

The ring 23 is adapted to seat on a liftart, two of such bemg provided. It will be understood how-- and its lower half opposite vertical slots 18 extendthe top and terminating a short dlstance below the shoulder 17. On the .out-.

to correspond to the the'same. time it is held member in the formof a ring 28, the inslips entirely clear of the same to allow free 65- of which latter is rabbeted, as shown movement t ereof up and down'in the hole. at 29 to providea seat for the ring 23 and The stems 24 can freely move as described for hold ng the latter against lateral d1sas they are pivoted at the'bottom to the ring placement. The ring 23 is free to rotate 23, and there is sufiicient space between the on the ring 28 when the turntable 5 is m outside of the bushing and the wall of the motion},1 the latter ring being non-rotatable. opening 6 to accommodate the stems. When On e outside of the ring 28, at diametrithe sl(i1psdescend and enter the lower con- 1 cally opposite points, are outstanding tr 1mtracte portion of the bushing, the taper nions 30 which seat slidably in vertical. thereof crowds them inwardy'to firmly grip guides 31 on the sills or skids 9 which supthe pipe. The ring 23 and all the parts port the base 7 of the machine. carried thereby can be elevated throu h the To each trunnion 30 is connected one end opening 6 and removed when it is des1red to of a bell-crank lever.32 having its other end have a large'o ening in the-turntable 5 for connected to an operating means, whereby, the purpose 0 settlngor passing through when the levers are swung, the ring 28 is lar e diameter pipe. g0 raised or lowered. The operating means 'fiie hereinbefore described method of for the levers ma be a steam, compressed handling the slips 16 is a decided improve" air or other flui -pressure motor; or the ment over the ordinary method of handling levers may be operated manually. The the same manually, as this requires two men, drawings show a fluid-pressure cylinder 33 one on each side of the machine to drop the in which works a piston 34 having itsrod slips in place and also for lifting the slips .35 suitably connected to a cross bar 36 conout when the pipe is to be released, this opnecting the two levers so that they may be eration being repeated as each section of the operated simultaneously. The levers are pipe is put in the hole or pulled out. With fulcrumed at their angle to suitable supthe present structure, the slips 16 may reports 37 on the under side of the base 7, the main in the bushing 15 at all times when latter having slots 38 through which the handling the pipe, and they: can be removed I levers pass. The fluid-pressure cylinder 33 when not handling the pi e by removing is suitably supported on the base 7, alongthem from the stems 24. he only operaside the turntable 5. tion that is necessary is for one man to work p The piston 34 is also shown with a second the hand lever 40 to raise and lower the rod 39 extending in the opposite direction slips; or by letting fluid-pressure into the from the rod 35, and connected to a hand cylinder 33, which can be. done from the lever 40,'so that the levers 32 may be operdrillers position at the side of the. derrick. ated manually. It will therefore be seen that the hazard and Fig. 2 of the drawing shows a fragment liability of personal injury is entirely elimi- Y of a drill ipe or stem 41 being held by the nated, and the services of one man may also slips 16. y reason of the inside taper of be dispensed with. When the slips are opthe bushing 15, the slips 16 are crowded inerated by steam or other fluid-pressure, in wardly to gripthe pipe as they move downthe event of a break in the rigglng or some wardly in the bushin and when moved other unforeseen accident that would cause upwardly they recede 50111 the pipe and rethe pipe to drop, the operator, from. a safe lease the same. F i 3 shows the slips in distance, could drop the slips to catch the elevated position clear of the pipe. The pipe and prevent it from falling. This is slips are elevated by letting fluid-pressure not an uncommon occurrence 1n drilling into the cylinder 33, or by operating the with long strings of ipe, strings of from hand lever 36 to swing the levers 32in a four to five thousand eet not bein unusual. direction to elevate the ring 28, and as the To renew the cutting edge of the it on the ring 23 which carries the supportin stems bottom of the string, it' 1s necessary to pull 24 of the slips seats on the ring 28, t e slips out the entire string of pipe and unscrew are made to travel ufwardly in the bushing it in sections. This can be done in the quick- 15. The upper ha] of the bushing is taest way and with a minimum expenditure of pered externally, and at the inner ends of labor in the followin manner:

the branches or lateral bends 26 of the stems Raise the section 0 the ipe in the der- 24 are shoulders 42 which are in sliding conrick until the coupling to unscrewed is tact with this ta red surface. The taper is above the top of the turntable 5, holding such as to pr uce an upward flare, and the section standing in the derrick with a hence when the stems 24 move upwardly to pair of tongs, and run the turntable while elevate the slips, they are also made to swing holding, with the slips 16, the lower part outwardly, with the result that the slips are of the pipe that is in the hole. This motion carried over the shoulder 17 back into the -'unscrews the pipe, the operation being reenlar upper half of the bushing, and peated as each section is elevated for rethere y releasing the pipe and placing the moval. By a reversal of'theoperation, the

pipe is run back into the hole, the pipe being held by the slips while the upper section is screwed on the one which is being held.

I claim:

1. In a rotary drilling machine, a member having a vertical opening, a bushing seating in said opening, the upper portion of the interior of' the bushing being enlarged diametrically and tapered downwardly, and the interior of the bushing below said enlarged portion being also tapered downwardly, work-gripping blocks mounted for vertical sliding movement in the bushing, and vertically movable supporting members for the blocks, said members being also movable laterally to draw the blocks outwardly with respect to the center of the bushing into the enlarged upper portion thereof.

2. In a rotary drilling machine, a member having a vertical opening, a bushing seat-- ing in said opening, the upper portion of the interior of the bushing being enlarged diametrically and tapered downwardly, and the interior of the bushing below said enlarged portion being also tapered downwardly,

work-gripping blocks mounted for vertical sliding movement in the bushing, vertically movable supporting members for the blocks, said members being also movable laterally to draw the blocks outwardly with respect to the center of the bushing into the enlarged upper portion thereof, and cooperating means on the supporting members and the bushing for effecting such lateral movement of the former.

3. In a rotary drilling machine, a member having a vertical opening, a bushing seating in said opening, the upper portion of the interior of the bushing being enlarged.

diametrically and tapered downwardly, and the interior below said enlarged portion being also tapered downwardly, the exterior of the bushing having an upward flare, and

the bushing also having vertical slots extending downwardly from its top, workgripping blocks mounted for vertical sliding movement in the bushing, supporting stems for the blocks, a support to 'which the stems are pivoted, said stems having shoulders enseating in the vertical slots of the bushing,

and means for elevating and lowering the support of the stems.

4. In a rotary drilling machine, a member having a vertical opening, a bushing seating in said opening, the upper portion of the interior of the bushing being enlarged diametrically and tapered downwardly, and the interior below said enlarged portion being also tapered downwardly, the exterior of the bushing having an upward flare, workgripping blocks mounted for vertical sliding movement in the bushing, supporting stems for the blocks, a support to which the stems are pivoted, said stems having shoulders engageable with the aforesaid flared surface of the bushing to swing the stems laterally and draw the blocks outwardly into the enlarged upper portion of the bushing, and means for elevating and lowering the support of the stems.

5. In a'rotary drilling machine, a member having a vertical opening, a bushing in said opening and having means whereby it is held spaced from the wall of the opening, the upper portion of the interior of the bushing being enlarged diametrically and tapereddownwardly, and the interior below said enlarged portion being also tapered downwardly, the exterior of the bushing having an upward flare, work-gripping blocks mounted for. vertical sliding movement in the bushing, supporting stems for the blocks, said stems being positioned on the outside of the bushing in the vertical opening of the aforesaid member, a support to which the stems are pivoted, said stems having shoulders engageable with the aforesaid flared surface of the bushing to swing the stems laterally and draw the blocks outwardly into the'enlarged upper portion of the bushing, and means for elevating and lowering the support of the stems. 

